Patience Is a Virtue
by Not-on-my-books
Summary: Roy Mustang had always prided himself on being a patient man. Or at least he had been, up until Edward Elric came along. (Parental Roy!Ed)


Roy Mustang had always prided himself on being a patient man.

If you were to ask anyone who knew the Colonel they would all tell you the same thing; that he's a well spoken and patient man whom many respect due to those qualities. After the war against Ishval, Roy had practically perfected the art of remaining nonchalant under stress. He learnt to subdue his temper when he felt it rising and to remain calm during disputes, because he knew from experience that losing patience would only perceive him as brash and uncontrolled, and a Fuhrer in the making had to be anything _but_ those things.

So yeah, Roy liked to think he was a patient man.

Or at least he_ had_ been, up until Edward Elric came along.

There was just something about the kid. Roy didn't understand how he was able to press his buttons so effortlessly. Most days he couldn't even put his finger on what would trigger him, but simply being in the Fullmetal alchemist's presence caused him to lose his patience easier than usual. Perhaps it was how damn loud the pipsqueak always was – or how he could never seem to follow an order and has disobeyed him more times than Roy could count. Or perhaps, it was how his temper flared like a firework, just waiting to be lit, that made Roy lose control of his own.

It wasn't that Roy didn't care for Edward. No, that wasn't it at all. He was his subordinate and at the end of the day Roy would do anything to make sure he was safe. Not that he'd ever actually admit that to the kid, but it was true.

Over the now four years that he had known Ed, he had grown to care for him and his brother immensely. The two of them somehow wiggled their way into his heart and settled themselves in the deepest trenches, where Roy couldn't throw them out of, no matter how much he wanted to sometimes. Caring for the Elric brothers came with a boatload of stress, frustration, and worry – but in the end, it was worth it. The two of them needed an adult in their life to guide them, and Roy kind of liked the idea of it being him.

Again, not that he'd ever admit that to them.

With all that said, it didn't change the fact that he and Edward butted heads more than anything. The kid still got on his nerves all the time, and somehow made the usually patient Colonel want to rip all of his hair out.

And today had started as no exception.

It was the annual physical military checkups and Roy was less than excited to head to work. He just knew it was gonna be one of _those _days. He had already woken up late, then couldn't find his uniform, and then hadn't had any time to eat breakfast before heading out. Hawkeye was going to have his head if he was late today of all days, where it was mandatory for all military staff to be on time for their checkups - and he seriously didn't want to endure the First Lieutenant's wrath at nine in the morning.

Roy sighed, hand moving down his face before taking a quick glance at the time on his watch. He had about fifteen minutes until he needed to actually be at Central Command, which meant he had enough time to pick up a sandwich from a local vendor. _Thank God_, Roy was absolutely starving.

The Colonel walked along the busy path through Central and took in the sights of the stalls around him. Families walked alongside the paths and leaned over the stalls buying fruits and bread and clothing, while children played with each other a little farther ahead. The sound of a dog barking and chatter amongst vendors were prevalent and Roy basked in the familiarity of Central City.

He let his eyes wander from stall to stall until he strolled over to a little stand under the shade with a young woman standing behind it. Roy approached the vendor with a charming smile and offered her a quick hello as she did the same, and then took his time looking over the pre-made baguette sandwiches for sale.

_Hmm._ The ham looked good, but so did the tuna. _But am I in the mood for tuna?_ He thought to himself before subtly shaking his head and moving to pick up the ham sandwich.

"Hey, Colonel!"

Roy retracted his outstretched arm back to his side and turned around to the direction of the voice, and surely enough, there was Alphonse Elric.

The seven foot tall steel-suit of armour stood no less than ten feet away at the stall beside him; he seemed to be carrying a brown paper bag filled with an assortment of apples and oranges in one arm while the other one waved at him cheerfully.

"Oh hello Alphonse, didn't quite see you there." Roy smiled at the boy as he walked over to stand in front of the Colonel, "How are you doing today?"

"I'm pretty good! Just doing some grocery shopping for brother, fruits are fifty cens each today so I'm taking advantage of that for him!" Al responded excitedly, his metal armour clanking as he readjusted the brown bag in his arm. "What about you Colonel? Heading somewhere before work?"

"Me? I'm grabbing something to eat before I have to get to my checkup. Unfortunately it's that time of the year, and honestly I'd rather be sleeping in right now." Roy huffed, his smile fading into a small frown.

Al chuckled in response, "That's funny, you sound just like brother."

Roy shot up one eyebrow, "Oh really? Well he's managed to get out of his last three years of checkups, I'm sure he'll do it again – hey, where is Fullmetal anyway? Is he not with you? Or is he just so short I can't see him over the crowd."

There was no angry outburst, only the sound of chatter amongst surrounding people.

Al laughed lightly at the Colonel and shook his head, "No, actually he headed off to Central Command early for his checkup. He said he just wanted to get it up and over since you've been on his tail about it."

At that, Roy let a surprised noise pass his lips, "Fullmetal doing as he's told? _Actually_ listening to me? You must be joking with me."

"Nope," the suit of armour said, popping the P at the end of his sentence as if to show Roy he wasn't lying. "I know brother can be stubborn sometimes but he does listen to you. I also _may_ or may not have guilt tripped him a bit too _but_ he really needs to get his health checked, so it seems our plan worked!"

Roy contemplated the words for a moment, nodding his head. The Colonel had always been pretty lenient when it came to the Elrics. The last couple of years, Ed never seemed to be close to Central when check up time rolled around and Roy would end up making excuses for the kid each time. He knew that he probably shouldn't let him off so easily but he also figured that he didn't need one more thing for Ed to hold over his head, so he let it be.

This year, however, his little brother had privately asked the Colonel if he could help him convince Ed to go to for his check up because he was worried. He said something about since Al didn't have a body of his own that got sick, Ed never bothered to get checkups for himself because he felt like he didn't 'deserve' it.

Which of course was ridiculous logic, but Roy understood none the less. After that, he made it his mission to keep Ed in Central during the week and remind him every chance he could that his checkup was coming up.

And apparently, their combined efforts seemed to have worked.

"And how come you're here and not with him?" Roy questioned curiously – it was rare to see the two brothers separated after all.

"I wanted to come but brother insisted he was fine going by himself. I think it's a pride thing, but as long as he goes I'm happy. Besides it'll be nice to have some time to visit the city this morning."

"Well then I'm glad to hear it," Roy settled on saying, "I suppose I'll see him later then."

Al bowed his head slightly, "Yeah! Anyway, thanks a lot for the help Colonel. I have to get going though, so good luck today! I'm sure it'll go great."

"Thanks. You're a good kid Alphonse, see you around." Roy nodded his head at the suit of armour before watching him mutter a shy_ thank you _and shuffle away into the crowd.

Roy looked out into the busy street for a moment longer and then turned his attention back to the stall of baguettes in front of him. His stomach rumbled just looking at the food.

Clearing his throat, Roy reached out his hand and offered seven-hundred cens to the girl behind the counter.

"One tuna sandwich please, to go."

* * *

The first thing Roy registered when he walked in was a gun to his face.

"Tell me sir,_ why_ are you ten minutes late?"

_Ah crap._

Roy raised his hands above his head with the remnants of his eaten sandwich wrapper in hand.

"Good morning Hawkeye." He flashed his trademark smirk and walked past the Lieutenant to throw his garbage into a nearby trash can.

Riza lowered her gun, looking unamused, "You knew you had to be here fifteen minutes early, didn't you?"

Roy dusted his hands off and turned around to look at her, "Yes and they make us sit around and wait so what's the point anyway."

Riza scoffed and shook her head lightly, a small smile gracing her lips despite her attempt to be serious.

"Well let's get going then. The others are in the waiting room already."

The pair walked side by side through the halls of the command center in comfortable silence. The sound of faint yelling could be heard as they got closer and closer until finally they arrived at the doors of the waiting room, where a very loud and familiar voice could be made out.

Upon opening the door Roy was met with the site of each of his subordinates _–Havoc, Breda, Feury, Falman - _sitting in the waiting room chairs, all of their attention diverted to a certain blonde shouting on the opposite end of the room.

"-_not _a half-pint midget!"

"Woah calm down Ed, nobody called you a-"

_"Yeah but you implied-"_

"_Fullmetal_."

Silence filtered the room and suddenly five pairs of eyes were on the Colonel.

"And what might be going on here?" He posed the question to Edward, who crossed his arms and looked away from Roy defiantly.

Roy walked in and sighed, blowing a heavy breath from his nose. He turned to look over at his unit who all wore sheepish expressions on their faces.

Havoc was the first to speak up.

"Everything's fine here, Ed's just got quite the temper on him."

The rest of the men nodded in agreement.

Roy averted his gaze back to his youngest subordinate. The kid dropped back down into his seat and adorned one of the largest scowls known to man, still refusing to look his commanding officer in the face.

"I suggest you stop acting like a child, Fullmetal, before you-"

"_I'm not a child!"_

_"-Interrupting_ is disrespectful, you need to learn to-"

_"Yeah yeah_, respect your elders. Got it _old man._"

_"Why you-!"_

A hand on his arm stopped him mid sentence, and Roy turned around to see Riza giving him a stern look. Emotions of frustration and anger dissolved the longer she looked at him and Roy understood the silent message to _shut the fuck up._

Riza let go of his arm to close the door behind them and then sit on the chair beside Ed.

"Hello Edward," Riza offered gently, waiting until the alchemist turned to look at her to continue, "How's your brother doing this morning?"

The question hung in the room for a moment. Ed cautiously looked around at the people in the room, then at Roy, and then back at Riza. The woman was looking at Ed with such patience it baffled Roy as to _how._

"He's good... doin' some grocery shopping I think." Ed's voice was quiet and skeptical. He uncrossed his arms, thinking for a moment, "probably kidnapping some cats while he's at it."

Riza smiled at the answer.

"Tell him hi from me next time you see him,"

"Sure."

The room once again lapsed into silence and Roy took that as his cue to sit down _–as far away as he could from Fullmetal which was totally not childish at all-_ in a chair as well.

How the lieutenant could handle Ed like that was beyond Roy. Sure, he could admit that he probably could've handled the whole thing better from the start but it was just so damn_ easy _to get irritated when the kid talked to him like that. Sometimes he wondered if Ed _enjoyed _getting on Roy's nerves, and honestly he wouldn't be surprised if he acted out on purpose for that very reason.

He subconsciously glanced over to where Ed sat and observed the kid for a moment. He was dressed in a black tank top and black leather pants, and his hair was tied back in a neat pony tail. He sat with one leg bent up so he could rest his elbow on his knee, and then prop his chin up with his fist. Roy felt the urge to call him out on his improper posture but decided against it – he didn't want to deal with another inevitable fit of anger.

Sighing silently, Roy leaned his head to look out the window and faintly registered the voices of his subordinates start to talk and joke around with each other, but he chose to tune out the conversation.

A small wave of nervousness hit Roy as he waited for the doctor to arrive. He wasn't sure why he always felt a little nervous going into his checkups, but after so many years of it happening, he just learnt to accept it.

He absentmindedly wonder if Ed was nervous too... the kid hadn't had a check up doing in ages, so it'd only make sense for him to be – and it would also make his attitude make sense too. That and the fact that he'd probably rather be anywhere else right now.

_If we all have to suck it up, so does he..._

"Roy Mustang?"

At the sound of his name, Roy snapped his head forward and was met with the sight of the doctor standing by the door.

Roy stood up from his seat and reached a hand, "Hello, it's nice to meet you, Dr...?"

The doctor shook his hand, "Call me Dr. Heine. It's a pleasure."

"The pleasure is all mine."

Dr. Heine grinned and gestured for Roy to walk through the doors and into his office.

"Please, after you."

* * *

"Alright, everything seems to be in order. I'm just going to look over a couple of things and you can be on your way."

"Very well, thank you Dr. Heine."

The checkup went about as smoothly as Roy could've hoped for. Good blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol levels. His senses were in perfect order. The doctor even told him Roy was the epitome of good health, and he didn't even remember why he was nervous in the first place.

Roy was sat down in a chair next to the medical bed while the doctor hustled through some paper work on his desk, seemingly writing down a couple of notes. He glanced over at the clock.

_Hmm almost ten o'clock... perhaps I can stall my paperwork until eleven today._

The military checkups ran all day long but thankfully Roy and his unit were secured one of the early times. Most of the soldiers would be piling in closer to noon for theirs, and since there were so many men to get through they all waited in the cafeteria to get called.

It was a very busy day for the doctors, that was for sure.

There was a gentle knock on the door and both Roy and Dr. Heine turned their attention to the sound.

"Come in." Dr. Heine called out in his deep voice.

The door slowly opened and a nurse poked her head through. She looked a little bit nervous as she glanced from the doctor and then to Roy, before smiling sheepishly and saying, "Are you Roy Mustang?"

"That would be me," he replied in confirmation and watched the woman curiously.

"Oh um – I'm sorry to interrupt, but Dr. Guzman has requested for your help... it's about Edward Elric, he said to um, come quickly."

Fullmetal. Of_ course._

Roy sighed heavily, "Dr. Heine?" he looked to the doctor as he silently asked for permission to leave.

Dr. Heine simply smiled and nodded his head, "Don't worry, we're just about done here anyway. You may go."

Roy nodded and said a quick thank you to the doctor before following the nurse out of the door and into the now empty waiting room. They exited and walked down the hallway in silence until the nurse, who Roy identified as _Maria_ by her nametag, stopped abruptly in front of examination room C.

Maria timidly turned around and bowed her head as she spoke, "A-after you sir, please."

Roy exhaled deeply through his nose, mentally preparing himself for the inevitable frustration to come. He grabbed onto the doorknob and with little hesitation, pushed the door open.

What Roy saw inside wasn't exactly e_r..._ what he was expecting.

The room was occupied with the main doctor and at least three nurses, all of which were standing on the far right of the medical room. The doctor looked nothing less than exasperated and as did his team. On the other side of the room was Edward sitting down on the medical bed. His automail arm clutched at his flesh shoulder while he snarled at the doctor like an angry dog ready to attack.

"Dr. Guzman," Roy said loudly, catching the attention of all of the inhabitants in the room. He ignored the murderous glares Ed shot his way and entered the room along with the nurse behind him. "I hope my young subordinate here hasn't been giving you too much trouble."

"Ah Roy, thank you for coming so quickly." Dr. Guzman shook Roy's hand and then released a heavy, deep sigh, "But unfortunately that is just the case"

Roy tilted his eyebrow up in question, "How so?"

"We tried everything to get him to calm down, but nothing has worked! " One of the nurses beside the doctor spoke up, "He just won't listen!"

Dr. Guzman nodded, "I'm afraid what she said is true. According to Edward's last medical records, he's missing on at least six of his mandatory vaccines. It is absolutely necessary that he received these shots today, but it seems he's got a little bit of an, ah, _phobia._"

Roy could hear Ed grumble something behind him but once again, ignored him.

"I see. And- I'm really sorry Dr, but I fail to see how I can be of any help with this. He listens to me just about as much as you," Roy faltered, knowing very well that dealing with Fullmetal was _not _his forte.

"Well," Dr. Guzman started, "Since Edward is still underage, we thought perhaps we could check his family records to see if one of his family members may be able to persuade him to take his shots. We wanted to call his brother Alphonse but Edward insisted not to, so we went onto the next person, you, since you are his official Guardian and legal parent-"

"He is _not _my parent, he's my Commanding Officer!"

The outburst cut of Dr. Guzman and caused Roy to finally look back to face Ed. The kid narrowed his eyes and glared daggers at the doctor. Roy didn't miss the away he avoided making eye contact with him.

Dr. Guzman cleared his throat, tone shifting to slightly uncomfortable, "Right. Well, as his Commanding Officer you were next in line to call – and since you were close by, it was a no brainer. Edward_ needs _his vaccines."

Roy stopped, considered this, and felt his shoulders sag, "Alright then, let's get this over with quick then."

A series of collective relieved sighs escaped from the nurses and then they quickly set back to work, picking up equipment off the tables, along with Maria, who picked up a thin needle and handed it to Dr. Guzman.

Roy turned to his now eerily silent subordinate and walked up so that he was standing directly in front of Ed. The kid was still holding onto his shoulder for dear life and refused to look him in the eye, a look of defiance on his face, much like earlier in the waiting room.

Roy waited a couple of moments, carefully choosing out his words as to not set Ed off, and said, "You know, the faster you do this the faster you can get out of here."

Golden eyes blinked up to look at his superior, "So what? I don't want 'em."

"We don't always get what we want Fullmetal, you know that better than most."

"And what the _hell_ is that supposed to mean, bastard?!"

Ah, there was that temper again.

"I'm _saying_ that you're going to behave while you let the doctor do his work,"

"I'm not getting any shots!"

"That wasn't a request, Fullmetal, it was an _order_."

Ed looked like he was just about ready to object in a hundred different ways when the nurses crowded around them. Roy stepped to the side a little bit in order to give them their space and Dr. Guzman walked up, needle in hand, beside Ed's flesh arm.

One look at the needle made Ed flinch away violently and turn his head the other way. His body was stiff and looked two seconds away from either fighting each and every person in the room, or bolting out the door.

And neither of those options were good ones.

"Fullmetal." Roy said as Ed made no effort to move.

A couple seconds passed with no response.

"Fullmetal." His voice was low, a warning, "Look at me."

Ed lifted his eyes to peer at Roy through his long bangs and Roy wasn't expecting to see _fear _written all over the young prodigy's face. The fear, however, lasted not much longer a brief moment and then his expression shifted back into one of stone.

With Ed's attention, Roy firmly said, "Put your arm down and let them see your shoulder."

"No."

"I said _do_ it. _Now_."

"No!"

Roy felt his eye twitch in frustration and had to shut his eyes for a moment in an attempt not to yell back. Instead, he reached over and grabbed Ed's automail arm by the wrist and tried to tug it down to his side. The initial contact made Ed recoil away and twist his body so it wasn't facing Roy anymore, and he put all his strength into resisting Roy's tug.

"Come on brat," Roy growled out with another tug, "put your arm down!"

Two of the nurses in front of Ed joined in on Roy's attempt and held Ed _– _albeit more gently_ –_ by the shoulder in order to hold him in place. With one sharp, final tug, Roy managed to pry Ed's automail off of his shoulder and he pinned it down to his side with a firm grip. Before Ed had the chance to react, Roy shot out his free arm and held down his flesh arm in the same way, so that both his arms were pinned to his side, and moved to stand directly in front of Ed's face.

"Don't touch me!" Ed yelled, squirming in Roy's firm grip.

Roy shook his head, "If I let go, you're just going to run. Look the sooner this gets done, the sooner we all get to go. So please, just sit still."

Edward struggled for a few moments longer before realizing his efforts were futile and resigned himself. He hung his head down low and hid his face with his long bangs, though Roy could still see the scowl clear as day. He didn't say a word.

Roy turned to nurse Maria beside him and gave her the nod to start.

"I'm just going to disinfect your skin first Edward, okay?" Maria spoke beside them, her voice gentle. Ed still refused to say a word, although as soon as the soft gauze with alcohol started to wipe down Ed's skin he froze up even more than he already was.

Once she finished her work, Maria stepped back to allow Dr. Guzman to take her spot at Ed's arm. He held the thin needle in his gloved hands, "I'm going to administer the first needle now."

Ed heard the words and whipped around to see the needle inches away from his skin and he flinched back suddenly, causing Roy to jerk forward and hit into Dr. Guzman.

It was then that all hell broke loose.

"I don't want it!"

"Fullmetal stop it!"

"No! Leave me alone!"

"Quit kicking!"

"You can't make me!"

"If you do not stop right now I will court martial you-"

"Do it, bastard!"

"_Fullmetal!"_

_"Fuck off!"_

Roy was having just enough of him at that point. It was early, he was miserable and to top it off, the kid was messing with his schedule. "You really are a brat you know. Is this what your mother had to put up with? Huh?" He practically screamed in the kid's face, gripping his arms tightly and shaking them.

Suddenly Ed stopped.

His glare, which had been so well trained on his superior officer a moment ago, lessened for a moment. Hurt flashed across his face, eyebrows relaxing and wide golden eyes crinkling. And in a mere moment, it was gone.

Roy swallowed hard, trying to stanch the feeling of guilt that quickly rose in him. He knew the words came out of anger and not truth, but by the way Ed's shoulders dropped in defeat and stopped trying to escape his hold, he knew that he crossed a line.

"Colonel Mustang?" Roy vaguely heard the doctor speak out through the tense air.

Roy let go of his grip on Ed's arms, wincing slightly at the red marks he had left of them, and said, "Yes?"

"Perhaps we can find an alternative method for this, if it is too much of a bother for you, then you don't have to stay. We can find another way for Edward to-"

"No. What I need is a moment alone with my subordinate. _Now._"

A moment passed in silence.

"Very well then."

All that could be heard after that were the sound of footsteps and quiet shuffling until finally-

_Click._

They were alone.

Roy shut his eyes for a brief moment and exhaled audibly, running a hand over his eyes in an attempt to ease the growing headache. He lost his temper way too quickly, and now he was stuck with a temperamental kid that he had no idea how to even begin talking to.

First things first, Roy knew he had to apologize.

"What I said was out of line. I apologize." Roy said sincerely, breaking the silence and stepping backwards to give Ed space.

Ed looked at him with an unreadable expression and grunted in response, "Bastard."

_Shit_. Roy wasn't very good at this sort of thing, but he supposed the verbal insult was better than the silent treatment.

"I mean it Fullmetal, I had no right to bring up Trisha. And I don't think you're a brat. Most of the time."

Once again, Roy cursed himself for having _no idea_ what he was saying or doing – and he certainly noticed how Ed flinched at the mention of his mother's name and didn't so much as react at the attempt at being light hearted.

There was another moment of silence. Roy sighed.

"I'm sorry kid, but you're gonna have to talk to me."

Ed shrugged his shoulders and wrapped his arms around his waist almost as if trying to protect himself from Roy's words, "'Bout what?"

"Well for starters, why do you refuse to get your shots?" he asked and crossed his arms in front of his chest, voice turning stern and serious once again.

Ed released a heavy breath and leaned back his head, eyes shutting momentarily, "Don't need 'em"

Roy huffed, "You heard the Doctor and he seems to think they're necessary."

"He's stupid."

"Well I happen to agree with him too."

"You're stupid too then."

Roy just barely stopped the groan of frustration from escaping his lips.

_Patience_ _Roy, have patience._

Then, he took a moment to really look at Ed and think deeply about the situation.

It was only now that Roy had realized this, but Ed had been acting strange all day. For one, he was doing everything in his power to avoid eye contact. Normally the kid was loud and feisty; eyes full of fire and unafraid to stare anyone down. The usual air of confidence he held was gone, and as was that fire. Plus Ed's posture practically screamed 'leave me alone!' to everyone within a five mile radius.

Obsidian eyes narrowed and examined the kid's face. It wasn't often that he had the chance to thoroughly look at Ed, but now that he did, he could really see how child-like he still was. His cheekbones still held much of his baby fat and his eyes were wide and youthful. The darkness under them indicated a lack of sleep and there was a faint scratch on his lips which he wouldn't have noticed under any other circumstance. Roy wondered if Ed always looked so exhausted, or if it was just today.

He really was still a child, even at the age of fifteen.

A sudden pang overcame Roy and he had to physically withhold himself from choking on his emotions. Ed, the brave and fearless Fullmetal Alchemist, was still just a child.

God, what did children even_ need_?

Support?

Someone to listen?

Patience?

**_Patience._**

_ "Hello Edward, how's your brother doing this morning?" _

_..._

_"He's good... doin' some grocery shopping I think...probably kidnapping some cats while he's at it." _

_"Tell him hi from me next time you see him,"_

_..._

_"Sure."_

Roy remembered the brief conversation that his subordinates had in the morning and it was like something clicked in his head. The only moment he had seen Ed drop his defensive demeanour today was when he talked with Hawkeye.

Looking back, that made sense. People become defensive when they feel threatened or scared or overwhelmed. It was safe to assume that Ed had been hounded by his brother in the morning, and then by doctors and_ Roy himself_ for the rest of the day and was therefore on edge.

But Riza hadn't hounded him. No, instead she sat with him and waited patiently and spoke to him _gently..._and maybe Roy had been approaching the situation completely wrong. His first reaction had been to give out commands. It's what he's used to, what he's done for_ years_ now.

But now, looking at Edward sitting in front of him, his expression borderline uncomfortable and untrusting, Roy knew that he was wrong. An order wasn't what the kid needed. Right now, he needed someone to be the _adult_ for him.

From the young age of ten Ed had given up with youth to travel and find the philosopher's stone to regain his and Al's body and by going so, he couldn't afford to be a kid anymore. He underwent automail surgery at eleven and joined the military at twelve, all the while acting as Al's caretaker and big brother. But who was there for Ed when he needed someone? Who did Ed go to when he felt sad, or angry, or alone?

...as far as Roy knew, nobody.

The situation called for a change of tactic.

"Edward." Roy said after a long moment of silence, his voice considerably softer. Ed's eyes shot up in surprise at the use of his first name and twitched his eyebrow. He didn't respond.

"I'm not trying to be the enemy here."

"Sure you aren't."

"I promise." Roy responded sincerely, putting one hand over his heart to prove his point.

Ed pouted stubbornly. Roy could tell he was confused at the sudden change of tone but didn't respond with an outburst, so that was good.

Roy could do this.

After several beats of silence, Ed finally scoffed and threw his hands in the air, "Quit it!"

"Quit what?"

"You're staring and it's freaking me out!"

"I'm not staring; I'm just waiting for you to talk to me."

"Yeah, well-!" Ed cut off his sentence before he could even begin and his face morphed into one of uncertainty. He stuttered over his words for a moment before giving up and scowling at the Colonel.

"It's okay Edward." Roy replied gently, trying to push away the mild awkwardness he felt and opted to smile at Ed.

He wasn't sure if it was because of the smile, or the use of his name, but Ed's face slowly flushed into a deep crimson which he tried and failed to hide.

Roy took this as a sign to stay back and wait for Ed to deal with the inner turmoil going on in his mind. Too many questions could lead to a sense of overwhelment, and that's the last thing Roy wanted to do to Ed.

An embarrassed and over pressured Edward Elric was sure to end badly.

Seconds passed. The first five went slow, then another five went by – until finally – Ed spoke up.

"What do you even want me to talk about?"

Roy released a breath he didn't even realize he was holding, "Whatever is on your mind."

"...you're acting too nice and it's f'king weird." Ed grumbled in response, though his sentence lacked any real bite.

"Hey, I'm a nice guy when I want to be."

"Yeah, when you _wanna_ be."

Roy opened his mouth instinctively to shoot back a jab before stopping himself – bickering with Ed was like second nature to him and the kid had an incredible talent for getting under his skin. But, he also knew that Ed probably felt uncomfortable and his sarcasm was only a defense mechanism.

It was easier to be pissed off than vulnerable. Roy knew about that first hand.

Ten seconds passed. Roy stood by patiently and watched Edward begin to squirm in his seat. Another ten passed, and then five. Then-

"Alright _fine_, sheesh. Quit staring at me like a creep and I'll talk."

Ah. Finally.

"Thank you, Full- Edward." The Colonel replied and bared a smile at the boy, who was still hesitant to return anything but a frown.

Ed brushed away his long bangs with his automail hand and breathed in deeply, chest slowly puffing out before sinking in on his exhale. He repeated the motion another two or three times and Roy let him. He knew that this was just as difficult for Ed as it was for him. He just had to be patient and wait for the kid to open up to him first.

On his fourth exhale, he finally muttered, "I don't like needles."

"I think I got that part. My question is, why?"

Obsidian eyes locked with golden ones that gleamed with an emotion that Roy couldn't quite understand... a look that said _'I don't want to talk about it' _and _'Isn't it obvious?'_ all at once.

Roy thought back and reflected for a moment. He remembered he hurt on Ed's face and the way his shoulder slumped when he mentioned his mother earlier and couldn't help but wonder if there was a connection.

"...does this have to do with your mother by any chance?" Roy decided on saying after a moment.

A small sigh of confirmation came from tight lips, "...yes."

Roy waited, thinking, and then nodded. "I see."

"It's just..." Ed's voice had him looking up, "...I never liked needles even when I was a kid and the last time I got 'em she was still here. She is... _was_ the only person who could get me to stop feeling _scar_-...to stop acting out."

The quiet confession had Roy feeling speechless and the guilty ache from before returned. God, he really fucked up with what he said earlier... as if Ed wasn't already missing his mother today, and he just had to go say what he did.

He had to make it right.

"Edward," Roy sighed, "I'm only going to say this once so listen closely."

"You're a good kid. No really – in fact, you're a _great_ kid. You're a prodigy, and a genius, and you're beyond intelligent. Not only that but you're strong and loyal, and I admire that. You take care of not only yourself but your brother and all those you care for, and you take on more responsibility than most fifteen year olds could handle. You're brave – but you know what you aren't? What nobody in this world, not even me, is?"

The blond shook his head, silent.

"Fearless." Roy finished, pausing for a moment to allow Ed to process what he said and then continuing, "Nobody is fearless. There is always something that's going to frighten us and that is okay. If the Fullmetal Alchemist and Hero of the People can fight his own fights and succeed in taking down bad guys, nobody is going to look down on him for being afraid of a little needle."

Ed sat there, dumbstruck. Not really knowing what to do, his tanned fingers wound around themselves. He looked as if he wanted to so desperately say something, and for a moment Roy wondered why he wasn't, until he noticed how young eyes had turned wide and glassy. Roy was caught off guard by the uncommon display of unshed tears coming from his subordinate.

Then in the gentlest voice he could muster, he said, "Do you trust me?"

A small nod was all Roy needed to regain his composure and stand up taller. He knew he was just about as good at Ed with emotions, but he was damned if he wasn't going to try his best.

"Okay then. Here's what's going to happen," Roy started, "I'm going to let the Doctor know you're ready for your shots, and you're going to let them give you all of them. I don't want you to look at all. You're going to look at me instead, and it's going to be over before you know it, got that?"

Roy's voice left no room for question and at Ed's affirmative nod, he called out for the Doctor to come in.

Dr. Guzman and the nurses entered through the doorway seconds later, each wearing expressions of uncertainty on their faces. Roy locked eyes with the Doctor.

"Dr. Guzman, I would like to request that everyone but you and I leave the room. Everyone except-" he paused and pointed towards one of the nurses, Maria, "her."

The gruff man crossed his arms and looked his he was about to object, but one look from the determined Colonel had him consider otherwise.

"Very well then. Everyone else, please leave for now." He ordered to the nurses. They walked out quickly and quietly until the only occupants left in the room were Roy, Ed, Maria, and the Doctor.

Roy turned back around to face Ed while the other two headed to the medical table to prepare themselves. They spoke in hushed whispers, and Roy appreciated it more than he could put into words. He didn't want Ed to focus on the needles right now.

Not for the first time today, Roy longed for his best friend Hughes to be here and give him advice. The man was a family man and he knew what to do in situations like these while Roy was practically clueless. Even so, he cared and really was trying his best... although now, looking at Ed, he couldn't help but let the doubts creep in. The kid wanted his mom, not his hardhead of a superior officer...

Roy swallowed away a thick ball of uncertainty, and asked, "Ed, do you want me to get Hawkeye instead?"

Beside them the nurse approached with immense caution and ever-so-gently put a hand on Ed's arm to begin disinfecting the area he'd be getting his shots. Ed flinched at the contact and at the same time shook his head in response to Roy's question, letting a tight 'no' escape his lips.

His response had Roy feeling assured and glad. This fifteen year old kid, who had been nothing but betrayed or disappointed by male adults, had chosen to trust _him _right now. And that was more than he could ask for right now.

Ed stiffened the moment he heard the Doctor approached. He snapped on his rubber gloves and held a small, thin needle in his hand. Roy grabbed onto Ed's jaw and twisted his head so it was facing him and only him. His other hand grabbed onto Ed's shoulder – the one not receiving the shots - and squeezed in a comforting motion.

"Don't think about it Ed, it'll be over before you know it."

And with that, Roy gave the doctor the nod to begin.

Dr. Guzman didn't waste a second and gave Ed his first injection. Ed shut his eyes and gripped at his pants with white knuckles. Surprisingly, he managed to keep himself still and quiet.

Maria stood beside the Doctor with a tray or prepared needles and handed the next one to him quickly. Dr. Guzman gave Ed his second injection slightly below the first one and once again, Ed made no sign of moving at all. It seemed the anticipation of getting the needles were worse than receiving them.

Feeling like Ed was handling the shots okay, Roy let go of his face, but to his surprise he was stopped by an automail hand quickly coming up and snatching his own flesh hand in a tight grip. Ed opened his eyes wide and distressed and tugged at Roy so that their hands remained on his face.

Shock was evident all over Roy's face but he knew his subordinate was too out of it to notice. His hand almost hurt at the intense grip Ed had on it but he couldn't find it in his heart to pull away, so instead he opted to squeeze back tightly. His other arm snaked farther around Ed's shoulder and pulled the kid closer to him so that his forehead could rest against his shoulder, shielding the cruel world from his view.

Ed swore under his breathe when he received his third shot, and started breathing heavily by the fourth. The Doctor and Maria worked quickly but to Roy this was taking an eternity. At this close proximity, he could feel Ed's heart thumping against his lungs, which seemed unable to grab any air.

"Breathe, only two more to go." Roy whispered to the trembling kid in his arms. He placed his cheek against Ed's head and began to rub soothing circles onto the small of his back in hopes to stop the shaking. It almost disturbed Roy to see Ed act like such a_ child_ – something he hadn't seen since the day they met where he sat crippled in a wheelchair too large for his body.

When Dr. Guzman administered the fifth shot was when Roy felt wetness soak through his uniform. His heart panged in a painful way and all he could do was continue to whisper words of encouragement into Ed's ear.

Then, at last, the Doctor gave Ed his one final needle and an aray of colourful little bandaids were placed on his arm quickly after.

"All done . We're going to do some final checks all you'll be on your way." Dr. Guzman grunted and stepped away with the nurse.

Ed had yet to move from Roy's shoulder and Roy wasn't even sure if Ed had heard the Doctor, until the younger slowly lifted his head from the shoulder it was laying on. Ed hid his face and let go of his superior grip on Roy. He rubbed at his eyes furiously, face completely red and flushed. Roy stepped back to give him some space – he knew Edward, and the last thing the kid needed was to feel suffocated.

Roy watched Ed sniffle stubbornly and regain his composure. The nurse returned with a box of Kleenex which Ed happily snatched, and he turned his head away from them to blow his nose.

"Stop staring, bastard." His weak voice croaked out as he went to blow his nose once more.

Roy didn't respond but looked away as Ed had requested.

Maria laid a hand on Roy's arm and pulled him away, then smiled, "Thank you," she began in a hushed voice, "What you did for him was incredible."

Roy's eyes widened then crinkled with a smile of his own, "It's nothing, truly." He responded in an equally hushed voice, "the kid thinks he can handle everything on his own. He needs to know there are people there for him."

Maria bared her teeth and nodded, "Again, thank you Colonel Mustang." She dropped her hand and intertwined her hands in front of her, then bowed lightly. Dr. Guzman walked up beside Maria with an otoscope in hand and took a brief look at Ed, and then to Roy.

"Yes, we appreciated you coming Colonel and apologize for your time. We'll handle the rest from here, you're free to go." He nodded a final thanks before pushing past the two and in front of Ed, effectively blocking him from Roy's sight.

Roy bid his own farewell and then started towards the door, sighing to himself under his breath. This was _not_ how he expected his day to go today. A quick glance at his watch _10:27_ confirmed that Roy was already running late for his paperwork, and even if he wanted to stall it till 11, he only had a half an hour left for that.

Roy latched onto the handle of the door and was about to turn the knob when he felt eyes boring into the back of his head. He knew they were Edward's. Roy briefly wondered if he should ignore this feeling and just leave… it would save his pride, and Ed's, that was for sure. But, there was that nagging part in his brain that told him not to… that hold him to turn around and not leave Ed without a word, like his father did so many years ago.

With that thought Roy knew exactly what to do.

"Fullmetal, take the day off. Go spend some time with your brother." Roy straightened his back, opened the door, and then turned around to look straight into wide, red-rimmed eyes, "That's an order." He barked and maintained eye contact for several long beats, before quirking the corner of his lips, and turning back around before Ed could get in a word.

And with that, Roy shut the door and walked past several confused nurses and headed to his office, leaving a stunned Edward Elric in the examination room.

This_ certainly_ wasn't how expected his day to start.

But he supposed it could've been worse.

* * *

_8:52. Ah crap._

Colonel Roy Mustang was going to be late. Again.

Roy couldn't help but groan at the thought and run a hand down his face in an attempt to ease his exhaustion. He was walking down the busy streets of central as he usually did to arrive to work every morning. The scenery of fruit stands and chattering people and playing children never changed. That was how Roy liked it. He like the familiarity and the routine it brought him.

_One day, I'll be leading this country and making sure every family here is safe._

Roy smiled briefly at the thought and made a left along a busy corner. _8:55. _Damn, he really was going to be late. And he was starving. Surely, if he was going to be late anyway, he might as well stop and grab something to eat?

He happily obliged his own thought and let his eyes wander around the stalls until he spotted the one he was looking for, and strolled over with ease to his favourite little sandwich stand. Roy waved his hand in greeting to the lady behind the counter who bowed her head and greeted him happily in return.

_Hmm. Should I get the tuna today…? I got that yesterday though, and I haven't had the ham in a while… maybe I'll just go for it-_

"Oh hey, it's Colonel Mustang!"

The sound of Roy's name snapped him out of his inner debate and he turned around to come face to face with no other than Edward and Alphonse Elric.

Alphonse walked forward and waved at Roy, and Ed remained slightly behind with a scowl, but lifted a gloved hand up in greeting as well. Roy nodded at them and raised his eyebrows. He hadn't seen either of the boys since yesterday morning and wondered how the rest of their days had went, especially Ed's. The last he saw of him he had been sitting miserably in the examination room. Roy hoped he wasn't feeling mad or upset about what happened.

"Well hello there. Funny running into you here again, Alphonse." Roy said in an attempt to be casual.

Alphonse chuckled, "Aha yea! What a coincidence!" he started, "I thought you'd be at work by now."

_8:58. _Roy didn't even care anymore.

He rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly, "I'm running a little bit late it seems. What about you boys?"

"None of ya business."

The reply came from Edward, of course.

"Brother!" Alphonse nudged at his brother, causing the shorter male to tumble slightly before regaining his balance.

_"Hey-!"_

"-Ignore him, we're actually on our way to the library to do some research." Alphonse explained, metal armour clanking with movement, "we think we might have a lead for the Philosophers stone!"

"That's great, good luck with your search. That is, if you get there without Fullmetal here getting lost in the crowd." Roy responded with a smirk.

"Who the hell are you calling a microscopic midget so small he can't see over a crowd?!"

"Oh come on Fullmetal, I hardly said you were microscopic. The midget part, however-"

"Shut up, bastard!"

Roy burst out into laughter at the fuming Fullmetal in front of him. Alphonse had taken to holding his brother back as he tried to throw punches at the Colonel.

Roy wiped an imaginary tear from his eye and sighed loudly, "Alright alright, that's enough of that."

Alphonse let go of his brother when he was sure he had calmed down, and Ed huffed crossed his arms stubbornly. It seemed like Ed had fully gotten over what happened yesterday and was back to his usual loud and brash self. Roy wasn't sure if he should feel glad, or slightly disappointed.

Al bowed his head in apology, "Sorry about him Colonel," he said and then seemed to remember something, and asked, "Oh – and by the way, how did the checkups go? Brother has been too stubborn to tell me anything except that he's not dying!"

Roy opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it after one look from Ed. Golden eyes sent a silent warning that the Colonel instantly understood. Ed didn't want to seem weak around his brother and therefore told him the bare minimum. He didn't want to worry his little brother, and Roy could respect that.

"Everything went splendidly." Roy decided on saying after a moment of contemplation, "Fullmetal got through his check up no problem, and he's all in good health."

A look off relief passed through Ed's eyes but was quickly replaced by a cocky expression and a smirk, "Yea! See Al, I told ya. No need to be such a damn worry wart all the time!"

Al clapped his hands together and gleamed, "That's great to hear! And sorry brother, but you know I can't."

Ed raised his fist and clonked his brother on the head, "Whatever Al, whatever."

Roy couldn't help but smile at the display of the brothers. He was glad those two had each other. They really were the best of friends.

A quick glance at his watch. _9:05._

"Damn," Roy said suddenly, catching the attention of the duo, "I really have to get going. Hawkeye is _actually _going to have my head."

"As expected from the Colonel Bastard-"

"Oh okay, no problem!-"

The two replies overlapped each other and Roy simply chuckled and shook his head. Seriously, these boys...

"Well, we'll see you around then. Bye Colonel! And goodluck." Al said cheerfully and moved to walk away while waving. Ed grunted and turned around, hands entering his pant pockets without a word.

"See you around," Roy echoed the words of Alphonse and then sighed as he watched their backs slowly walk farther away.

As Roy himself was about to turn, he noticed Ed had stopped walking. He stood still as Al paid no attention and continued on walking. Fists clenched from within their pockets and his shoulders tensed, and then they dropped, and Ed turned his head sideways to look at Roy.

A deep breath, and then another, and then-

"Thanks. You're more than just a Commanding Officer to me, by the way."

The words were hardly audible, even as they were spoken clearly over the loud streets of central, but Roy caught every last syllable. He felt a surge of happiness overcome him and the smile on his face was inevitable to control. Since when did this one bratty kid have him feeling so soft?

Roy thought of saying something back when he caught the red tint on Ed's cheeks and he turned away quickly. A couple of second after that, Ed turned back around with a grin so wide it almost blew back Roy. He then lifted his hand goodbye and jogged back up to his brother, leaving Roy on his own once more.

Even though the whole moment lasted no longer than fifteen seconds, Roy was left with an idiotic grin and a quiet contentment in his heart. He had always hoped to become a guide for the Elric brothers – someone they could come to in their time of need. It seemed that finally, after many years and failed attempts, Ed was opening up.

And all it took was a little patience and a couple of needles.

Roy spun around slowly and let his eyes wonder to the sandwiches in front of him. He then scrambled through his pocket for his cash and placed two one-thousand cen bills onto the counter of the stall.

"Ah, to hell with it. I'll get the ham and tuna, to go please. And keep the change."

* * *

**Hello friends.**

**I have literally no idea how this tiny prompt turned into such a long story. I hope I did a good job at the characterization, since I found myself struggling a bit - especially with Ed. This is my first Fullmetal Alchemist Fanfic and I've fallen in love with the fandom all over again after recently re-watching both anime adaptations, so I really wanted to do the characters justice and have them stay in character while also sharing a soft moment. Cause parental Roy!Ed is what I live for and there ain't enough stories about them out there.**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this prompt literally nobody but me asked for.**

**Till next time. xx**


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